CLEARWATER, Fla. — Like Delmon Young said Wednesday morning: It was cold, and it was only March 6.

The start of the regular season was 27 days away, and while one newcomer to the Phillies seemed uninterested in a Grapefruit League game even if he weren’t woefully behind schedule to man his position, apparently the Phils and Nationals don’t need the games to count in order to have a little intra-divisional animus percolate to the surface.

With both teams having the most historically electric pitchers of their staffs starting — two-time Cy Young winner Roy Halladay for the Phils, flame-throwing phenom Stephen Strasburg for the Nats — there was a little intrigue from the opening pitch, even if Washington left most of its starting position players at their camp on the east side of Florida.

But things got exponentially more interesting in bottom of the third inning when, after Michael Young’s infield single gave the Phillies the first run of the game, Strasburg cracked Chase Utley in the left shin with a fastball.

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At this point it’s worth flashing back to the start of spring training and the waning moments of Halladay’s press conference, when the ace told reporters that Utley suggested that he throw at more batters this season, “so I might mix that in.”

Sure enough, after getting the first two batters in the top of the fourth, Halladay seemed to have a subtle conversation with Utley from the mound and motioned toward his ear. When he stepped back on the hill to face Tyler Moore, the first pitch was a two-seam fastball that sailed two feet behind the right-handed hitter’s back.

Asked about the pitch, Halladay covered his wallet by saying, “It slipped.” Then he got rather candid about the topic of protecting his teammates.

“I think that’s not necessarily the case (in this situation),” Halladay said, “but we do need to protect our guys to an extent. I’m not saying that’s what happened. It slipped. But I think that’s important.

“In spring training I don’t think you want to do it. But it wouldn’t have been the worst thing had it got him after getting one of our good guys.

“You never want to intentionally hurt guys, but I think there’s definitely a part of the game where you make sure your guys are taken care of.”

Strasburg pleaded innocence on his pitch to Utley and didn’t seem to appreciate any attempt to retaliate.

“I don’t have any reason to throw at him, do I?” the right-hander said. “I don’t understand why they would think I was throwing at him. Obviously you could tell the conditions weren’t great. I yanked it in there. It’s spring training. If you’re going to throw at someone or send a message in spring training, go ahead.”

Utley, who led baseball in hit-by-pitches three straight seasons (2007-09, the last three years he played without extensive disabled-list stints), said he has no worries about getting plunked or doubts that the pitchers on his staff will take care of business when payback is desired.

“No one wants anybody to get hurt,” Utley said, “and getting hit by pitches are part of the game. If need be, if someone ever needs to be brushed back, I feel like we have the guys capable of doing that.

“I’m not off the plate, but there are a lot times when you get hit and you’re happy you get hit. If you’re behind in the count and a ball grazes you, you’re happy to take your base. I’d say a majority of the times I’ve been hit it’s been on accident.

“It’s spring training, you have to get used to those.”

Asked if he could ever get used to a 99 mph fastball from Strasburg mashing him in the shin, Utley said, “No, not really.”

Aside from that drama, Halladay also pitched very impressively, allowing no runs in four innings of work. The back issues that hampered him last season are no longer an issue, he insists. A return to form by Halladay would be huge. The Phils were 14-11 (.560 winning percentage) in his 25 starts last season after going a combined 46-19 (.708) in his appearances the previous two seasons combined. So a revitalized Halladay alone could be worth a handful of wins compared to 2012.

If part of Halladay’s strategy is to send cannons across the bows of teams with pitchers who get too chippy inside against the guys playing behind him, that’s OK with Charlie Manuel.

“I like it. That’s baseball, really,” Manuel said. “It’s not like we don’t take care of our hitters, but it seemed like some of them — especially Utley — get hit more than anybody. Left-handed pitchers throw in on him a lot, so that’s one reason they hit him. They try to get in on him. But you’re supposed to take care of your hitters.”